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Distribution of colorless sulfur bacteria (Beggiatoa spp.) in a coastal marine sediment

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Abstract

The populations of Beggiatoa species were quantified in the sediments of a brackish fjord (Limfjorden, Denmark) over a period of 1 year. The bacterial distribution was compared to the physical structure of the sediment, the redox profile, the concentration and production rate of H2S, and the rate of O2 consumption. The bacteria are absent in fine and in medium-grained sand, but in muds which are aggregated in faecal pellets very high population densities are found throughout the year with average biomasses of 5 to 20 g m-2. The bacteria seldom form coatings on the surface, but are distributed within the upper few centimeters of oxic sediment. They receive H2S partly from the lower anoxic layers and partly from reduced microniches scattered in the oxidized zone. Estimates of their metabolic rates indicate that Beggiatoa spp. may play a significant role in the sulfur and carbon cycles of the investigated sediments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Ecology and Genetics, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark

    B. B. Jørgensen

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  1. B. B. Jørgensen
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Communicated by T.M. Fenchel, Aarhus

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Jørgensen, B.B. Distribution of colorless sulfur bacteria (Beggiatoa spp.) in a coastal marine sediment. Marine Biology 41, 19–28 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390577

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390577

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